Old Movies Are Hard To Watch

[Vulagr]

Old movies are hard to watch for me sometimes. Not because of the errors and inconsistencies, mind you, but for another reason altogether.

But because some of the actors, most notably Deforest Kelley and James Doohan, have been dead for years. These are men I've admired and respected for decades now, and it's kind of a hard thing to watch the movies or other specials they're in.

But I still watch them on a rare occasion.

Sigh.

 

[bbailey861]

How old are you and when did you start watching Trek? I grew up with TOS and I still watch it, and the movies, for the same reasons you do not. I love seeing 'De' and 'Jimmy' for the same reasons you appear not to. Watching and remembering is a great legacy to leave behind. Enjoy them for as long as you can, then go ahead and read the TOS books and let your mind see them all over again in new adventures.

 

[Kelthaz]

So when someone dies all their work should be discarded? I kinda get what you mean about feeling sad that the people you're watching are long since dead, but ignoring everything they've done because they're dead is the worst thing you can do both for yourself and them.

 

[scotpens]

For the majority of movies made since the dawn of cinema, everybody who worked on them, in front of and behind the camera, is dead. So I’m sorry, but I don’t quite see your point.

 

[F. King Daniel]

It can be a little hard immediately after a liked actor dies (like the guy who played Zach in B5, who died while I was rewatcing the series) but it doesn't stop me. Their work on the shows is their immortality.

And in the cases of the TOS actors, it was amazing to see the roles they made famous brought to life again by new actors in STXI. McCoy, Scotty, Sarek and Pike featuring in a blockbuser movie is a testament to the efforts of the original actors.

And, of course, all the characters live on forever in the novels.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I have a thread on the Voyage Home in the movies forum. That film is such a great tribute to the easy chemistry they all had. You can see how small De was in the film, though, that he was clearly aging more than the others. For a while I couldn't watch it because of that for some reason.

Now I love watching it and never tire of it. His performance in particular is so great, his charming smile truly shows up in the film. They gave him and the rest of the cast some great moments in the film. De said in interviews that Star Trek, at least when he was doing it, was all about moments. Now, people expect flawless continuity, and they have raging debates about this and that and what canon is, and I'm one of them, but when I watch TOS and the TOS films, I am able to table that and just watch it and enjoy it. Voyage Home in particular is about moments, I think. Scotty and De have some great scenes together, and it's a great tribute to both of them. Also, Mark Lenard gives a perfect, iconic performance in the film. Just spectacular.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I kind of went through something similar after Star Trek VII--it made watching TOS and the TOS movies a bit less enjoyable (I was much happier not knowing what happened to Kirk and wished it had remained a mystery forever).

But then I eventually got over it.

 

[sonak]

As others have said, I don't get that at all. I love to watch the TOS movies to see Doohan, Kelly, Lenard, etc. because they were so great at their work and they left these movies as part of their legacy.

It's sadder when a good person toils away in anonymity all their life and dies with few remembering them. These guys are some of the lucky few who will be remembered and watched for a long time after their deaths.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I kind of went through something similar after Star Trek VII--it made watching TOS and the TOS movies a bit less enjoyable (I was much happier not knowing what happened to Kirk and wished it had remained a mystery forever).

But then I eventually got over it.

Pfft. Read Shatner's novel Avenger. Kirk didn't die in Generations, he just took a power nap.

 

[Kelso]

I don't have this problem.

 

[The Wormhole]

I kind of went through something similar after Star Trek VII--it made watching TOS and the TOS movies a bit less enjoyable (I was much happier not knowing what happened to Kirk and wished it had remained a mystery forever).

But then I eventually got over it.

Pfft. Read Shatner's novel Avenger. Kirk didn't die in Generations, he just took a power nap.

Let's be honest, Shatner's books are pretty terrible.

 

[Anji]

I understand. I think that when I first turn on a TOS episode.

But after a few minutes, for some reason, I slip back into 1966 and somehow they are alive again.

As far as I'm concerned, when the video is on, they are still with us.

Feel better.

 

[plynch]

Old movies are hard to watch for me sometimes. Not because of the errors and inconsistencies, mind you, but for another reason altogether.

But because some of the actors, most notably Deforest Kelley and James Doohan, have been dead for years. These are men I've admired and respected for decades now, and it's kind of a hard thing to watch the movies or other specials they're in.

But I still watch them on a rare occasion.

Sigh.

You have a good soul. Hang in there. Give thanks they existed and blessed our lives. Try to emulate by blessing others in your way. Peace be with you.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I kind of went through something similar after Star Trek VII--it made watching TOS and the TOS movies a bit less enjoyable (I was much happier not knowing what happened to Kirk and wished it had remained a mystery forever).

But then I eventually got over it.

Pfft. Read Shatner's novel Avenger. Kirk didn't die in Generations, he just took a power nap.

Let's be honest, Shatner's books are pretty awesome.

Fixed that for you!

 

[Gojira]

I am a huge movie buff and love movies of all eras. Seeing actors that I have admired who are no longer alive is one way to keep their memory alive.

 

[The Wormhole]

Pfft. Read Shatner's novel Avenger. Kirk didn't die in Generations, he just took a power nap.

Let's be honest, Shatner's books are pretty awesome.

Fixed that for you!

Oh my, what was I thinking? Thank you for correcting my thoughtless typo. I don't know what came over me.

Probably remembering how dreadfully terrible The Return was.

Oh, there I go again.

 

[Greg Cox]

That's just the nature of cinema. It's like watching an old Boris Karloff or Marx Bros. movie. Even though the stars have been dead for decades, we can still enjoy their work for generations to come.

 

[GSnail]

This reminds me of when I was watching one of the TOS movies and my mom (who grew up with them) walked in and said "Let's play who's dead!"
So apparently not a problem here.

 

[Alienesse]

From this point of view, I guess I'm lucky that I was either not around for TOS or too young when the TOS movies were made, and watching the original series or movies was a new experience for me. It's always sad when a beloved actor dies, but it seems to me that keeping watching their roles is the best way to compensate for that. Because, in a manner of speaking, these people really are immortal.

I actually love watching the old movies and series because that gives me a chance to experience the greatness of these wonderful actors that I never got to see when they were alive.

 

[RandyS]

It's not just Kelley and Doohan, Alot of the actors that appeared in TOS are gone now, as are many of the behind the scenes people, including that all-important Creator. It's the same with TNG and DS9. Some of those actors are gone too.

This does not effect my enjoyment of the shows in the least.